The Answer to the Preface of the Rhemish Testament, Part 27 – Part 32
VntoUnto the two next ſections
Notwithſtanding theſe ſwyniſh Ieſuites, tread the pearles of the Greek copies vnderunder their filthie feete, and that either without anie manner of reaſon at all, or els with ſo ſmall reaſon, as will hardly iuſtifie them to be reſonable creatures: yet can they not beare that Maiſter Beza ſhould (with great probabilitie and likelyhood of trueth) ſomuch as ſuſpect the Greeke copies. For they are not able to ſhew one only place that he hath corrected, contrarie to a whole conſent of the Greeke copies. They may condemn without reaſon, he may not ſuſpect, with great probabilitie thereof. They may ſet in the text what pleaſeth them, contrary to th'authority of all the Greek copies: he may not vtter his opinion in his ſcholies and annotations vponupon the text. They cannot beare to be charged, with their praeſent errour. But he muſt beare the blame of ſlippes & errors, which hauehave paſt and now are reformed. Wherefore either their hatred is ſo great againſt the Greeke copies, that they cannot abide Maiſter Bezas modeſt and ſhamefaſt reprehenſions of them, vnles he would flatly condemn them, as they doe: or els their equitie is ſo little, that they can ſee a mote in his eie: whē they perceaue not the beame that is in their own. And if the places were ſo manie, wherein M. Beza pronounceth the Greek to be corrupted, that they would make the reader to wonder: you hauehave done verie fooliſhly, which (in the great ſtore you pretend) hauehave repeated the moſt places twiſe, and that of Cainan, thriſe at the leaſt in this book: bewraying thereby, how (in great want of abilitie of accuſing him iuſtly) the will and deſire to accuſe, was out of all meaſure. Yet ſpeake we not this, as taking vponupon vsus Maiſter Bezas defence, without all exception. For we hauehave ſhewed Acts. 13. how the Greeke copies doe well aggree with the trueth: ſo we hope that the ſame might be performed in other appearancesLook verſ. 14. how Ierome reconcileth theſe places which the Ieſuites think irr… conciliable in his quaeſri…ns vponupon Geneſis. of contradiction, euen in the two moſt difficulteſt places of all other, which are in the 7. of th'Acts. And touching that of the 75. ſoules beſide Iacob, it accordeth well with the nomber which Moyſes particularly reckoneth vp Genes. 46. where (beſide Iacob) are mentioned 75. perſons. Neither doth S. Steuen affirme that 75. perſons came into Egypt: but declarethLooke Tremalius and Iunius in their anno. tat. vppon Geneſ. 46 in that number the whole family of Iacob was, before he came to Egypt: that when men knew, that it came in ſo manie yeares to no greater a ſumme then to 75. perſons, reckoning alſo the 4. wiues of Iacob, and two ſonns of Iehuda that were dead: they might the more clearlie ſee the wondrous and miraculous bleſſing which followed before their departure from Egypt. Th'other place which ſeemeth likwiſe irrecōciliable, concerning Abrahams verſ. 16.buying of a peece of groūd at Sichem of the ſonns of Emor: is as cleare as the ſun at noone dayes: If this place of th'acts be compared with the places of Geneſis 12. 3. 4. and 33. 19. 20. for in the former of theſe places it is euident that Abram had built an altar vntounto the Lord in the verie ſelfe ſame place, which Iacob (in ye latter of theſe chapters) is ſaid to hauehave bought, for 100. peeces of money. Now if Abraham would not bury his wife in that land, wherein he was a ſtranger, but in ground bought with his own money: much leſſe would he build an altar to ſerue the Lord with, but vponupon a purchaſe thereof made. It appeareth therefore, that S. Steuen might (with as good right) call it the place which Abram bought, as that which Iacob bought; both of them hauing bought the place. Neyther can it ſeeme ſtrange vntounto anie, that Iacob purchaſed the ſame againe, that his grand-father had bought before: if they remember that the fathers were often iniured and depriued of welles andGeneſ. 26 other things that they had gotten, eſpecially amongſt a people, who (in all kinde of impietie and in-iuſtice) were now come almoſt to the top. And that it was Saint Steuens meaning, to note out Abrahams purchaſe, rather then Iacobs; it may partly appear in that he maketh no mentiō of a certain price paid for the ground; which notwithſtanding is twiſe praeciſely made mention of in the purchaſe of Iacob. AndGen. 33. 19 Ioſ. 24. 32. if the places were of that difficultie, that we were not able to cleare them: yet (for our parts) we had rather confeſſe our own ignorāce; thē to charge a full cōſent of Greek copies, with an vntrueth. And although it ſhould be trew, which Maiſter Beza ſuſpecteth ſome-where of the Greeke copies: It followeth not, that the trueth or anie part of the trueth, is fallen from the Greek copies: conſidering that the corruptions ſuſpected of him, are not ſuch; but by eyther circumſtance of the place, or conference of other places of Scripture, the repaire may be made.
Laſt of all, where they aſſigne ſuch contrarietie, betwene the teſtimonies cited according to the 70. interpreteres in the new Teſtament, and the Hebrew text in th'old; that either we muſt be driuen in cleauing to the Hebrew of th'olde, to forſake the Greeke of the new; or in cleauing to the Greeke in the new forſake the Hebrew in th'old: they declare themſelues to be verie trifelers, and to abuſe their reader impudently. For they know, that we are able to iuſtify eueryevery place cited out of the 70. by the Apoſtles and Euangeliſts, to be agreeable with the Hebrew, and (in ſome diuerſitie of words) to hauehave the ſame ſenſe; at the leaſt to hauehave no ſenſe repugnant, to that in the Hebrewe: which is manifeſt by this, that where the 70. differed in ſenſe, there they leauing the 70. whome they ſo deſirouſlie followed (for ſupport of the Gentiles acquainted therewith) follow the Hebrew text. And as this is manifeſt by experience, ſo is it obſeruedHieron. pro log. 15. lib. in Eſai. expreſly of Ierome.
To the next ſection page 17.
Doubt not (good reader) but the Ieſuites are like to bruſte for anger, to vnderſtand that we are ſo well praepared, to proue both that the princely garments are not worn vponupon the Greek originals, for the ſpace of aboue 1500. yeares, wherein they hauehave paſſed from hand to hand in the horrible deſerte of this wicked world: and that both the bread and apparel of th'olde tranſlator, ſetting out ſome hundreth yeares after it, if euer it were clad and vitailed, in anie paſſable meaſure of a tranſlation: yet that nowe it is ſo patched and ſo peeced, ſo hoary and ſo mouldy, that any man (that asketh counſell of the Lord) may eaſily ſee, that neyther it commeth ſo far as the Ieſuites doe praetend, neither hath foode and rayment, able to feed or cloth the children & heires of ſo great a King. And where hauing no more ſhamefaſtnes in their forehead, then they hauehave haire on their bald pates: they hauehave taken this boldnes to ſay, that the Greek is not ſo corrupt as we ſay, although th'olde tranſlator be leſſe corrupted then the Greek: vntounto whom what may we anſwer better, then that which our Sauiour Chriſt anſwered vntounto the Deuill confeſſing him to be ȳſon of God: hold your peace. Mark. 1.For beſide that the truth cānot beare anie praiſe of ſuch foule mouthed enemies as theſe be: their praiſe (inferior to the Deuils in-trueth) is alwaies to the ſame end that his, that is wholy tending to the deſtruction of the trueth. The Greeke is not ſo corrupt as we ſay. O impudency: as if there were anie, that hath cald downe the royall value of th'originall Greeke, as you hauehave done. Though (in compariſon) we knowe it leſſe ſincere and corrupt, then the vulgar Latine. O noble commenders of the Greek copies. Could you hauehave ſet them lower then in placing them vnderunder the vulgar? You might aſwel hauehave ſet the heauens vnderunder the earth: conſidering that the Greek originall being borne in heauen, your vulgar ſprung out of the duſt. How doth alſo this aggree, with your owne ſaying: which affirme that you hauehave forſaken the poynting of the Latine to followThe laſt page of their preface. the poynting of the Greeke. And if the Greeke hath kept the trew poynting, why ſhould it not keepe the trueth of words. And if your Latine hauehave loſt the trew pointing (without the which he that readeth the Scripture is like him that rideth without a bridle) why ſhould it not rather be ſaid, to hauehave loſt the trueth of the words and ſenſe, then the Greeke which keepeth the trueth in poynting.
To the next ſection.
The principall cauſe that hath made you, take armes againſt theIohn. 8. 47 Greeke copies: is that you are not of God, and therefore cannot abide the wordes of God. Thereupon it commeth, that th'olde tranſlation as it is further from the worde of God, ſmacketh you better then the Greek copies doe. And althogh you may ſooner get water out of a flint, then anie reliefe of your cauſe from the Greek copies: yet if it were poſſible, for trueth to helpe to maintaine a lye, it were yet vnpoſſible for you to like of it: & therfore althogh we are aſſured that you had great aduantage out of the vulgar, which is a great cauſe, that maketh you ſtand ſo cloſe vntounto it, and no aduantage at all out of the Greeke (as partly hath and further ſhall appeare) yet we know that you hauehave a further fetch in preferring the handmaide vntounto her miſtres: which is thereby to vndermine all authoritie of the holy Scripture, that (it being ouer-throwen) the Popes decrees might ride on horſeback; which cannot take breath, as long as th'authoritie of the holy Scripture remaineth. And if it be as you ſay, that the Greek ſerueth your turne better then the vulgar: you beare vsus witnes (at vnawares) that the ſmall eſtimation which we hauehave your vulgar in, procedeth not of anie feare, that we ſtand in, leſt he ſhould hurt our cauſe.
To the next ſection page 18.
It were (doubtles) vnworthie the name of a tranſlation, that ſhould be inferiour to the vulgar. Howbeit we charge not th'old tranſlator of Popery, and impute not all the corruptions in the vulgar to the tranſlator: but rather to th'enemie, which ſowe tares in his field: albeit as (hath bine ſaid) he might ſome-where preiudice the trueth, not thinking of it. As for the teſtimonies both here and in the former ſection, they are diſcuſſed in their proper places.
To the next ſection.
We grant they are word for word at in the Greek. And therefore vnleſſe we ſhewe that Poperie leaning vponupon them, falleth to the ground, and that it is not only ſtaied by them, but deſtroyed of them. We will willingly confeſſe, our ſelues moſt vnworthie eyther of the defence of ſo good a cauſe, or of the places which we ocupy in the Church of God. In the meane ſeaſon your beggery is too impudent which take that for graunted, wherin you hauehave bene alwaies (in the face) reſiſted. And if we would trifle out the time, as you doe; we could for fiue or ſix ſentences which you bring, as ſeming to ſmyle vponupon you, alledge fiue or ſix hundreth, which doe ſo apparantly frowne vponupon your Poperie, as at the verie ſight of them it falleth downe dead. If you had any generall councils or anie other auncient fathers of the weſt part, beſide Cyprian and Primaſius to warrant your phraſes by: we dout not, but you would hauehave made them ſpeake: which handle the matter ſo cunninglie, that the dumbe in your cauſe, and ſometime thoſe which are eloquent againſt it, are notwithſtanding (for want of others) compelled to ſpeake for it. As for the two fathers alledged: let the reader looke the anſwer in the proper place.
To the next ſection page 19.
As the Philoſopher ſaide of his work, that being ſet forth, it ſhouldforeign for the hardnes and darknes thereof (as it were) be vn-ſet forth: ſo may it be verified in a good part of the Ieſuites tranſlation; that being tranſlated, it remaineth, partly for the ſottiſh ſuperſtition of keeping of words rather then ſenſe, and partly for th'unneceſſarie newe fangledneſſe of forraine ſpeach, as it were vn-tranſlated. So is your tranſlation as litle Catholik, as may be: as that which is ſo proud, ſo ſcornfull & diſdainful, that none of the ruder ſort, can hauehave any acquaintance with it: wheras a good tranſlator will endeuour to deliuer to his reader, the meaning of his author which he trāſlateth, with al light & plainnes of ſpeach poſsible. What are the ſacred words & ſpeaches, for retaining whereof you are fallen into this ſeruitude? If you had tranſlated the Greek you might better hauehave pretended this. For we acknowledge the pens of th'Apoſtles and Euangeliſts to hauehave bene ſacred: which we cannot acknowledge, not you cannot ſhew in th'old tranſlator. Vnleſſe your Councell of Trent comming ſo manie yeares after th'olde tranſlator, was able then to make that ſacred, which had not beene ſo before.